Alternating current rectifying installation



Dec. 8, 1953 WILLEM VAN DOORN ALTERNATING CURRENT RECTIFYING INSTALLATION Filed Sept. 30, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLEM VAN DOO R N AG ENT Dec. 8, 1953 WILLEM VAN DOORN ALTERNATING CURRENT RECTIFYING INSTALLATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 50, 1952 INVENTOR WlLLEM VAN 'DOORN AGENT Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES EF ATENT OFFICE Willem van Doorn, Eindhoven, Netherlands, as-

signor to Hartford National Bank Company, Harttorcl, Coma,

and 'iirust as trustee Application September 30, 1952, Serial No. 312,386

Claims priority, application Netherlands October 2, 1951 7 Claims.

1 This invention relates to alternating current rectifying installations. More particularly, the invention deals with a rectifying installation wherein two or more as-filled or vapor-filled discharge tubes se "ally-connected a multiphase circuit, each a charge tu'oe comprisin an auxiliary electrode for niaintai. an auxiliary are, the auxiliary electrode of that discharge tuioe whose cathooie has the highest positive direc*-voltage potential being connected to a separate source or direct voltage for igniting the auxiliary arc. a multi-pioasc circuit is meant a circuit involving two or re In conventional circuits of l lzintl,

the

auxiliary electron c of the other discharge tube direct is also oonneoted to a separate source of v ltage in order to be able also to in t is tufoe the auxiliary are required for the sischarge tubes.

The object of the present invention is to pro vicle a simpler arrangement for such installations.

According to the i2 iention, tlis purpose the auxiliary electrorie of the other discharge tube is connected to a rectified voltage positive with respect to the cathode of the other discharge tube and originating from the first-omen tionecl discharge tube in such manner that the euro arc of be other t can be niteai. The rectifi d voltage of the ectifying istailation itself is thus utilized for the ignition of the auxi ry are of the other discharge tube, so that there is a saving of one separate ignition device.

in order the invention he more clearly understood readily carried into ater detail will now be described lies shown in the rence to c anying or c herein: H. l is a sclae iatic of a first pre- :ferrod embodiment of the invention;

' 2 is a schematic cli am of a second emmerit;

s a schematic oiagram of a fourth emis a schematic diagram of a fifth e1nsediment; and

G a schematic oiagram of a sixth em- --ent.

1, two discharge tubes :2 which s ip oliecl wo-phase relation from transii in se- My oe pro- The two windings the same core of the supply trans former, of which the primary winding connected to an alternating-current source is designated An auxiliary electrode l of tube 2, of which a cathode has the highest positive olirect-voltpotential, is connected to a separate directvoltage source 52 for ignitin the auxiliary arc on th auxiliary electroole the cathode h consists, for example, of mercury. The auxiliary electrode of the other tube l is connected to the positive direct voltage I- tube 2, which voltage is thus also positive with respect to a cathode i! of the other tube i, so that the auxiliary are between it ii is also ignited and the rectifying installation may become fully operative. The tubes i and furthermore comp-rise control electrodes. An auxiliary anode resistance iii may be provided for limiting the current traversing the auxiliary arc.

2 shows a similar circuit, except that here a (es-combination of two three-phase reoti fiers is shown. The primary winding of the transformer for supplying: two three-phase secondary windings ill and is is omitted for the of clearness. The three positive direct voltages for the auxiliary arcs of the lower discharge tubes are tapped from the direct-voltage source l-lere also the direc'twoltage for the auxiliary arcs of the upper tubes is derived from positive voltage supp by the lower tubes.

Fig. shows a two-phase circuit. The series-connected tubes is it on the one hand those designated and it on the other hand are connected to the secondary winding 3. If the left-hand .icle of this Winding has a positive potential the tubes i i anal will have to become current-conveying. An auxiliary arc of tube [5 is ignited by the direct-voltage source so that tube may become currentconveying under the action of the positive anode voltage. As soon this to s place, the auxiliary elect-rode of tube it baoines positive, since it is connected to a positive terminal 2! of tube iii, and the auxiliary arc in tube i can ignite, so that this tube also becomes currentconveying. The tubes 5? and. is will similarly become operative during the subsequent halfwave of the alternating-ourrent cycle. in the circuits hitherto known, a particular auxiliary anode voltage is required for each of the tubes iii and clue to the different poten ials thereof.

Fig. also shows a two-phase Gratz circuit, in w ich, in contradistinoticn with the circuit shown in Fig. 3, the positive voltage for the anvil-- iary electrodes of the tubes ii; and it, instead of being taken from the positive terminal M, is

taken from center tap 22 (neutral point of the secondary winding Said center tap, it. -for example, tube I5 is current-conveying, has a direct-voltage potential which is positive with respect to the cathode 23 of tube It (which potential has superposed on it half of the alternating voltage of the secondary winding 3 and this in the positive sense, since the right-hand end of winding 3 is negative if tube i5 is currentconveying, so that the center-tap has a posi tive alternating-voltage potential with respect to the cathode 23). Consequently, after the ignition of tube 25, tube l5 will. also ignite.

Fig. 5 shows a three-phase Gratz circuit which otherwise operates in a similar manner as the circuit shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 shows a threephase Grate circuit which. otherwise operates in a manner similar to Fig. 4. The operation of the circuits shown in Figs. 5 and 6 will be clear without further explanation.

While we have thus described our invention with specific examples and embodiments thereof, other modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as do fined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A rectifying installation compr sing a multiphase rectifying circuit provided with first and second electron discharge tubes in serial connection, each having a cathode, an anode and an auxiliary electrode for maintaining an auxiliary arc therein, said multi-phase circuit producing a h gher positive potential at the cathode of said second tube than at the cathode of said first tube,

means to apply a positive potential to the auxiliary electrode relative to cathode of said second tube to ignite same, and means to convert the auxiliary electrode of said first tube to a potential which is positive to the cathode thereof and a originating from said second tube to ignite said first tube.

2. A rectifying installation comprising a multiphase rectifying circuit provided with first and second electron discharge tubes in serial connection, each tube having a cathode, an anode and an auxiliary electrode for maintaining an auxiliary arc therein, said multiphase circuit producing a higher positive potential at the cathode of said second tube than at the cathode of said first tube, V

a direct-current source connected to the auxiliary electrode of said second tube to ignite same, and means to apply the positive potential at the oathode of the second tube to the auxiliary electrode of the first tube to ignite same.

3. A rectifying installation, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rectifying circuit includes a transformer having a centertapped secondary winding and wherein said tubes are included in a Gratz circuit, the auxiliary electrode of said first tube being connected to said centertap.

4. A rectifying installation comprising a transformer having a primary and a pair of centertapped secondary windings, a pair of electron discharge tubes, each provided with a cathode, a pair of anodes and an auxiliary electrode for maintaining an auxiliary arc therein, the anodes of one tube being connected to the ends of one secondary Winding and the anodes of the other tube being connected to the ends of the other secondary winding, the cathode of said one tube being connected to the center tap of said other secondary winding, a direct voltage source connected between the auxiliary electrode and cathode of said other tube to ignite same, means to derive a direct output potential between the oath-- ode of said other tube and the centertap of said one winding, and means to apply the potential of the cathode of said other tube to the auxiliary electrode of said one tube to ignite the latter.

5. An installation, as set forth in claim 4, further including a current limiting resistor interposed between the cathode of said other tube and the auxiliary electrode of said one tube.

6. A rectifying installation comprising a threephase circuit including a pair of three-phase transformers each provided with three windings having a neutral terminal, a set of three electron discharge tubes in conjunction with each transformer, each tube including a cathode, an auxiliary electrode and an anode, the anode of each set being connected to a respective winding, the cathodes of the first set being connected to the neutral point of the second transformer, means including a direct voltage source to apply a positive potential relative to cathode to the auxiliary electrode of each tube in the second set to ignite same, means to derive a direct output voltage between the neutral point of the first transformer and the cathodes of the second set, and means to couple the cathode of said second set to the auxiliary electrodes of the tubes in the first set to ignite same.

7. A rectifying installation comprising a transformer having a primary and a centertapped secondary winding, first and second electron discharge tubes in serial connection, each tube having a cathode, an anode and an auxiliary electrode for maintaining an auxiliary arc therein, said second tubes being connected with their anodes to the ends of the secondary winding and with their auxiliary electrodes to an ignition source connected to their cathodes, the anodes of said first tubes being connected to each other and their auxiliary electrodes being connected to the center tap of said secondary winding so as to convert said auxiliary electrodes to a positive potential to ignite said first tubes.

WILLEM v. DOORN.

No references cited. 

